In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

There’s a saying called the butterfly effect.

It means that if a butterfly flaps its wings somewhere on Earth, it can return as a massive storm.

In other words, a tiny event can come back as something huge.

Just like now.

“This poem comes to mind.”

Jung-hyun recites a poem in front of his self-cam.

“Before I called his name, he was nothing more than a gesture. When I called his name, he came to me and became a flower. That very name.”

“Soo.”

“puh.”

“leh.”

As I wore an enlightened expression watching my brothers giggle, the maknae aimed the self-cam at me.

“Hyung, smile a bit.”

“I am smiling.”

“You look really sad right now. It’s a historic moment when fans’ name is decided—can you look so gloomy?”

Should I delete that thing?

If only the camera weren’t there, I’d rip it out.

“Exactly. It’s really meaningful.”

“Bi-joo, even you?”

“Uncle, don’t unnecessarily criticize Bi-joo hyung, just lighten up your expression.”

“Smile and it’ll look good, hyung.”

Behind my teasing brothers, the staff in the waiting room barely held back laughter.

Makeup artists and even the manager hyungs.

I forced a wry smile, then offered a warm one for the camera the maknae held.

“Hello. I’m Woo-joo, a former member of New Black.”

My brothers burst into laughter again.

“Of course, that’s a joke. The phrase butterfly effect comes to mind. Who could’ve known my mistake would come back like this. At first I was so upset and ashamed when I saw the vote results, but now I’m receiving it with gratitude... No, with a thankful heart.”

“But your expression doesn’t match.”

“Um, when I’m speaking, just stay still. Ri-hyeok-ssi.”

They whispered among themselves, “Woo-joo hyung is really hurt,” and giggled.

“Actually, whatever that name is, it’s great that we finally have a name to call the fans. Whenever we meet the fans now, thinking we can call you ‘our Soufflé’ makes me feel like crying all over again.”

“You’d cry, of course.”

“......”

“Don’t mind Ri-hyeok hyung, just keep going, hyung.”

“Yes. Really, I’m happy we have a name to call you. To celebrate, shall we all say hello to our Soufflé together?”

Gathered with my brothers, we waved vigorously at the camera and called out “We love you, Soufflé!”

After finishing our greeting, I turned off the camera and smiled at the members.

“You all, come here. I need to talk to you for a moment.”

Chasing my brothers as they scampered to the corner of the waiting room, I became like a hunting beast.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

On the idol community “Green Room” board, someone’s carefully written post was up.

[The butterfly effect triggered by one rookie boy group’s slip of the tongue.hyogwa]

Subject: the rookie New Black who just debuted!!

Their fandom name was decided today so I got excited and wrote this lol

(Official SNS screenshot)

The chosen fandom name ‘Soufflé’ is actually a baked good.

It’s a French dessert apparently.

(photo)

—Looks delicious, right? I’ve never tried it

Anyway, a fandom name being a pastry might seem odd

But there’s a story behind it.

In February this year, when New Black got their first music show win something with Jang So-won, during the Muon acceptance speech the leader Woo-joo made a slip lol

(video)

—From 1:10 “our Soufflé...”

Anyone who watched back then will remember lol

Sometimes in comments they use that TNT Tae-hyun roaring meme, and it came from that moment

(captures 1,2,3,4)

—Brothers teasing wildly and the eldest brother in agony

This scene often appears in their own reality show, and the kids tease Woo-joo about it all the time lol

Then there was a fandom name contest

Maybe Jo Gyu-ho was mindful after Scarlet’s fandom name “Curtain” caused a stir last year?

There were lots of suggestions, but after the first private fan sign this Sunday and the reviews and videos went up, public opinion shifted

(video)

—Preparing gifts for the fan sign

(video)

—From 8:13. If you’re into stanning, you have to watch! There’s so much that resonates

Anyway, after those two videos were posted, the fan cafe reaction spiked

It started light but then got fired up?

So when soliciting fandom names, they wanted to show affection, and someone suggested using the February slip

From there, after various processes, that phrase from February became the fandom name lol

They said a thank-you post will go up later, personally looking forward to that lol

Hmm, I wrote big but the ending’s weak;;

I’ll end with some photos of the kids!!

Hope you like them!!

(New Black photo set)

[3 comments]

-Knew it’d be these guys lol

-Great promo post lol genuine effort

-They’re all so attractive every time I see them

At first only a few comments appeared, but soon it was buried by other posts and interest dropped off.

It was the usual response when a rookie idol promo pops up.

The author, seeing the lack of reaction, closed their phone with a sullen face and returned to daily life.

Then, at some point, the post’s view count began to rise quietly.

After the music show ended and we were riding to the event venue.

“Ah, you startled me.”

As usual I checked the fan cafe and was surprised.

Bi-joo, listening to music through earphones beside me, turned her head.

“What’s up, hyung?”

“I saw the fan cafe membership suddenly jump.”

“...Really?” 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

When I showed her the screen she widened her eyes too.

“It really did?”

“What is this. It spiked all of a sudden?”

When was the last time something like this happened?

It was when the Music Cafe broadcast aired and membership soared from 200 to 800.

Now the increase is even bigger.

“Whoa. My heart’s pounding, hey.”

“Hyung. Calm down.”

Bi-joo removed one earphone and placed it in my ear.

Gentle R&B music flowed out.

But the scene unfolding in the car to that calm soundtrack was quite the opposite.

It looked like a panel from a comic.

Centered on Jung-hyun in the back seat, the two maknae had their eyes popped out in astonishment.

“What are you guys staring at?”

“As for our Me2Day views. They jumped a lot.”

“Really?”

I checked and it was true.

What is this.

Seok-hwan hyung in the passenger seat also searched, and before long we identified the cause.

On the idol community “Green Room,” a post about our fan sign had been uploaded.

It turned out our Soufflé had written the promo post.

With over 200 comments, its view count exceeded ten thousand.

And for the first time, the comments—usually split—were overwhelmingly positive.

-Wow,, it’s us kids roomies, please treat them kindly!!

-I saw the slip—he’s really okay

-He speaks so beautifully ㅠㅠㅠ

-Feels like a rookie emotion only newbies can show lol they couldn’t do that later in their careers

-Company taught them well. They know to cherish fans if they want to survive here

-I always felt meh when their posts came up, but this made me like them a bit

-Yeah I thought the Music Cafe praise or recent Night Sea /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ praise was over the top, but this changed my mind

-He spoke so well. I want to play this for those who always bring up faux romance whenever idols and fandoms are discussed

-Above comment 22222

-333333

-New Black, let’s go viral!

-ㅋㅋ check out their fan sign reviews too, they’re so funny

Scrolling in case there were hate comments made my heart pound, but there were none.

Though we were still in a daze.

The fan sign was Sunday—why did it only blow up now?

When the fan sign video was uploaded to the company’s MeTube on Monday, it was quiet; now that the fandom name is decided, it’s suddenly on fire.

We never expected this... it’s exciting but a bit embarrassing.

Until now, even if there were various topics, the stage was always the main focus.

The first Something stage, the Between stage on Music Cafe, and most recently the Night Sea stage.

Even if other issues popped up briefly, eventually the songs and performances got attention.

This is the first time we’ve become an issue off our main job.

Or perhaps, as entertainers now, fan service is part of our main job?

As I thought that, a glutinous rice cake–like face poked between Bi-joo and me.

“Hyungs, I think I know the reason now.”

“What is it?”

“Ji-ho, you need your seatbelt.”

At Bi-joo’s reminder, Ji-ho re-fastened the belt he’d released with a “yes.”

But his face was flushed bright red.

Like an excited puppy tied to a post.

“Since Sunday, our streaming rankings have been flat. The A&R team leader said we’d drop.”

“I see.”

“Maybe our fans gained energy after the fan sign?”

“That could be.”

It was a hypothesis, but it sounded plausible.

Since Monday the streaming chart trends were strange.

At last week’s meeting, the team leader even showed projected chart trends saying we’d fall, but the actual chart was different.

[31. New Black – Fireworks]

“Fireworks” hovered in the high thirties, then climbed to 31 and stayed there.

Even today, Friday, the ranking remains fixed.

As if we staked out the spot.

Soon groups with strong fandoms like Daydream will inevitably push us down, but it was puzzling.

Yesterday in the A&R office, staff viewing the trends in disbelief asked, “Woo-joo, did something happen Sunday or Monday?”

Jung-hyun, looking at his phone, said,

“At this rate, we might become first place nominees.”

“No way. Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?”

“Why that tone, hyung. Nothing’s impossible. Right?”

Seeing them humming “a world where everything’s possible,” Ri-hyeok clicked his tongue.

“Is first place that easy?”

“Stop being so negative. Let them be excited, Ri-hyeok.”

“Fine, fine.”

Ri-hyeok muttered begrudgingly at my words.

“I’m worried everyone will be disappointed if we get their hopes up. Our promotions are ending soon.”

True, it was about to wrap up.

“Seok-hwan hyung, when is our last music show next week?”

“Wednesday.”

Perhaps due to the fan cafe surge, he gave a half-hearted reply while texting busily with the company.

Bi-joo said to me,

“Not many days left now, hyung.”

“Right. Time flies.”

I clicked my tongue in regret.

“Our debut showcase feels like just yesterday, and now it’s the end of promotions. It feels really bittersweet.”

“I feel that too. Like we could keep doing more.”

“We’ve done enough, I guess.”

Ri-hyeok in the back seat jumped in.

“We worked so hard. The results are really good too.”

“Ri-hyeok, seatbelt.”

This time my reminder made him point forward with his finger.

“We’re here.”

I turned my head and saw today’s event venue.

I felt good being at an event after a while.

I even liked the scent of grass and the sound of insects that you can’t get in the city...

“Ahhh! A moth!”

Ri-hyeok shrank back in alarm, and Jung-hyun casually snatched the moth with one hand.

Pinched just its wing.

“Got it, so you don’t need to worry, Ri-hyeok.”

“Ahhh! Get that away! Quickly!”

“Ri-hyeok hyung, calm down, ahhh! Jung-hyun hyung! Get that away from me! Ah, my eyes are ruined for real!”

As the two younger brothers made a fuss, Jung-hyun sheepishly walked to a distant thicket and released the moth.

“Take care,” he seemed to say.

Like a trainer releasing a Pokémon.

“I can’t live because of them.”

Bi-joo smiled in sympathy.

Parking the car, we followed Seok-hwan hyung behind the outdoor concert stage.

There were tents everywhere.

Probably singer waiting rooms.

We passed the metal frame set up outdoors and the busy staff, surveying the stage roughly.

We’d rehearse later, but better prevent any surprises.

“It’s bigger than I thought.”

Today’s event was a summer night–themed regional festival in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Judging by the seating, it wasn’t massive but still a proper stage.

It was much better than those events where only trot singers perform for seniors and they embarrassingly sing Fireworks afterward.

“I’ll talk to the event agency staff. You guys go to the waiting room with Min-gi.”

“Okay.”

We approached the distant tent set up like a waiting room.

The humid July air and insect sounds reminded us this wasn’t the city, when the maknae suddenly asked,

“Hyung. Who’s performing today again?”

“Um...”

Who was it.

I knew about ten teams would perform today.

There were samul nori and traditional music groups, trot singers, and about five idol groups.

“Street Boys, us, and who else... I don’t know much except Teen Spirit sunbaenim.”

This event felt like “Teen Spirit + alpha.”

Teen Spirit.

One of the biggest boy groups after TNT.

A pretty boy group from MOP Entertainment that emphasizes visuals. We crossed paths during our music show activities in February.

Well.

I didn’t have a great impression.

Their rough talk contrasted their delicate looks.

After a few words with them, you think, “When God gave that face, he must’ve patched their speech and behavior balance.”

Anyway, calling Teen Spirit here felt excessive.

The event scale didn’t justify inviting them.

Maybe that’s why they booked us.

If they’d split the budget, they could’ve filled the lineup with mid-tier idols, but they spent it all on Teen Spirit and used the leftover small amount to book rookies.

Still, it wasn’t a bad choice.

From an event success perspective, Teen Spirit fans had already come from far away and were waiting in the audience.

I should warn the kids to watch their words before going on stage.

Because Teen Spirit’s target is teens, their fandom is young and pretty harsh.

I looked around to speak but noticed one missing.

“Hey, wait. Where’s Jung-hyun?”

I looked around for the one who disappeared, and far behind I saw Jung-hyun standing alone.

We approached him.

“Jung-hyun, what are you doing there?”

“......”

Jung-hyun frowned and stared at the sky.

What was up there?

I looked up but saw nothing special.

Just a clear sky.

Nothing noteworthy except the evening glow fading faintly.

The six of us standing there made passing staff wonder what we were looking at, glance up briefly, then shake their heads and walk away.

I spoke to the statue-like Jung-hyun, still frowning.

“Jung-hyun.”

“......”

Just as I was about to ask again.

“Hyung.”

Jung-hyun lowered his head and said to me,

“I think it’s going to rain really hard later.”